A guide to testing your PPC ad copy
What do you do when you want to increase traffic but feel like you’ve exhausted your PPC budget? The answer: test your PPC ad copy! Often overlooked, it can be a really useful way to improve the amount of traffic to your landing pages without breaking the bank. After all, the copy is what draws attention to your customers and often keeps them engaged with your ad.
The ad copy test allows very real and impactful changes to happen for your PPC ad campaign. Our guide will take you through why and how you should conduct an ad copy text, with some best practices to keep in mind. Want guidance with your PPC ads? Our PPC consultants can help. We understand the importance of testing, and our strategy can take your traffic to the next level. Get in touch with us to learn more.
The importance of testing ad copy
Ad copy testing should be a vital part of any PPC campaign, as tests provide conclusive evidence that helps you avoid using guesswork to guide your decision making. Targeting your demographic is key, and seeing what results your copy is generating allows you to refine for whatever customers you aim to reach.
Not only can testing PPC ad copy help with customer engagement, it also allows you to see what works well in terms of getting your message across. Consistent and compelling ad copy (across all channels as well as PPC) can help solidify your online presence as a brand.
All in all, conducting a test can additionally provide you with some reassurance that whatever you’ve put in place is working, or if you need to rethink and change it. Stay ahead of the game and get into your users heads to make the most effective copy that you can.
How to conduct an ad copy test
Conducting an ad copy test can seem daunting at first, but once you get stuck in it’s easy to see why it’s worth doing. A/B testing allows you to test two variations of an ad against each other and see which works best. In this case, you’d vary the copy between ads in accordance with whatever changes you’re considering.
By firstly defining your goals, you can decide what you want to really know about your copy. Track whatever metrics suit you, such as CTR (click through rate), CPA (cost per acquisition), or maybe conversion rate.
Remember, testing is all about patience, so don’t jump to conclusions or fall in the trap of guess work. After the test is complete, use your findings to implement the most effective ad copy. It’s worth monitoring and reviewing your test by considering statistical significance in your results.
To ensure the best test possible, refine your campaign settings. For example, set ad rotation to ‘do not optimise’. Google won’t have any preference towards certain ads, so the test becomes the most fair it can be. If Google has been having preferences for an ad with certain copy, then your results become inaccurate and unhelpful.
The use of labels helps PPC specialists have prime levels of organisation for their ads. Labels are able to distinguish between specific elements of the ad so you can hone in on certain segments of your campaign. When looking at your test, you can filter between ads and make sure you have used the correct variables. Essentially, labels make it clear to a consultant which specific variation is driving the most traffic and increasing CTR.
You can use the reporting feature afterwards to check how your test has done once you’re happy with how long it’s been running. If you’re happy with the data it’s generated, then you can go ahead and apply it to your current campaigns. The great thing with ad copy testing is that it doesn’t affect your current campaign until you’re happy to make that change. It’s experimental without being risky.
So, what now?
Keep on top of your copy! You ideally want to keep your ad copy up to date to keep aligned with specific trends and changes in user behaviour. Your messaging still needs to be effective time and time again, not just as a one off. Consider testing again in the future, especially if you want to increase traffic at a different point in time without cutting into your budget.
Copy is all about customers, and as we know, customers and trends are bound to change– it’s important to make your copy fit for purpose and fit for season.
Interested in ad copy testing or PPC in general? We hope our guide has helped with your understanding, but if you’ve got a question that’s not been answered, feel free to get in touch.
